Populus.] LXXI. SALICINE^. 477 



ft., and a giith of 6, sometimes 9 ft. Trunk not very tall, often gnarled when 

 old, crown broad rounded, or more frequently long, oval, sometimes approx- 

 imating to the cypress shape. Bark thick, furrowed and rough, dark grey. 

 Galls axe common on leaves and branches. Leaves and branchlets are full of 

 balsamic juice, which stains paper ; balsam also exudes on a fresh cut between 

 bark and wood. The trees are often lopped for cattle-fodder. A tincture pre- 

 pared from the buds has been used medicinally in North America. 



Ordbe LXXII. CUPULIPER.ai. 



Trees, rarely shrubs, with scaly buds and' alternate simple leaves with 

 deciduous stipules. Flowers monoicous. Male flowers in bracteate spikes, 

 catkins or heads, rarely solitary. Perianth none, or consisting of 5 or more 

 lobes or leaves. Stamens 5, or more, rarely fewer ; anthers 2 - celled. 

 Female fl. : 1 or several enclosed in an involucre of free or more or less 

 connate bracts. Perianth adnate to ovary, limb minute, indistinct, or 

 more or less regularly toothed. Ovary inferior, generally 2-3-, in a few 

 cases more -celled ; styles as many as cells. Fruit indehiscent, generally 

 1-seeded, more or less enclosed in the enlarged foliaceous or hardened in- 

 volucre. Seed large, solitary, rarely 2 or 3 ; testa thin ; albumen none ; 

 cotyledons thick, fleshy, farinaceous or oily ; radicle short, superior, 



Male flowers In heads or in lax interrupted catkins or spikes ; 



perianth of 4-10 lobes or leaves ; anthers 2-oelled, cells 



connate ; ovary 3-7-oelled, 2 collateral ovules in each celL 



(Order Cupuliferce of most authors. ) 



Fruit a gland (acorn), solitary, 1-seeded, the lower part (rarely 



the entire acorn) included in a cup of imbricate scajes 



or concentric belts 1. Quebcus. 



Fruit of 1-3 generally 1-seeded nuts, enclosed in a thick cori- 

 aceous prickly involucre, opening irregvdarly . . 2. Castanopsis. 

 Male flowers in dense cylindrical drooping catkins; perianth 

 none ; stamens inserted on the base or inside of a broad 

 scale; anthers 1 -celled, or 2-celled with distinct cells; ovary 

 2-celled, one ovule in each cell. (Order Corylaeece of most 

 authors.) 

 Fruit small, 1-seeded, in the axil of large foliaceous bracts in 



drooping spikes . . 3. Carpinus. 



Fruit a large 1-seeded nut, enclosed in a large cut and 



lobed, sometimes spinescent, sheathing involucre . . 4. Coeyltts. 



1. QUEBCUS, Linn. 



Deciduous or evergreen trees, with entire or serrate, coriaceous or sub- 

 coriaceous leaves. Male flowers in drooping catkins or erect spikes. Peri- 

 anth 3-8-lobed, stamens as many as lobes, or more numerous ; anthers hairy 

 or glabrous, cells connate. (A rudimentary ovary in subg. Pasania.) Fe- 

 male flowers in clusters or spikes, rarely solitary, each flower enclosed in 

 an involucre of numerous bracts, which in fruit form a cup, and are either 

 imbricate or connate into concentric belts. Limb of perianth minutely 

 toothed. Ovary 3-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell ; styles 3, stigmatose 

 along the inner surface or at the apex only, often red. Fruit a gland 

 (acorn), with a coriaceous pericarp, 1-seeded, the rudiments of the abortive 



